Victorious Mothers

Fatima Bukar is alive. So is her daughter.  Her husband is gone to some unknown location.  Perhaps one day, if not this year, Ms. Bukar will be celebrated by her children as one of the victorious mothers.

When the 27 year-old Ms. Bukar was kidnapped, along with her two-year old daughter, she was forced onto a two-day march into a forest where her captors had established a camp for 300 of their victims. (Source: Wall Street Journal, Patrick McGroarty, May 9-10, 2015)  The mothers survived by hunting for edible plants.  They lived through the horrific choice of submitting to soldiers who offered them the option of slavery or “marriage” to a soldier.  The slaves would prepare food for their masters and then attempt to find nuts or other food on which to survive. The “wives” became the victims of their “husbands” in unimaginable ways.

The captors of Ms. Bukar and her daughter and hundreds of other women and children were overcome by the Nigerian forces, setting the women “free.”  Victory came at a great price.  One mother, baby strapped to her back, was walking to freedom when she stepped on a land mine, which killed her baby.  The horror continued for the captives, even in victory. But, they are now in a place where healing is the goal. They are in a place where the restoration of dignity and a sense of safety is the goal. They are in a place where they can begin to think about what freedom means; and whether the government victory over the Boko Haram will bring them a lasting peace.

Fatima Bukar’s goal as a mother is pretty basic. She told a reporter, “At least now we can eat.” “We” in this case is not only Ms. Bukar and her severely malnourished daughter, but six other children too.  Along the way she took charge of these six children who had lost their mothers.   I wonder if that is about as good as a definition of “motherhood” as you can find: you adopt the orphans and you help them survive until you can find something for them to eat. “Victory” has lots of meanings, I suppose.

“For everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.” (I John 5:4)  God, give Ms. Bukar, a Happy Mother’s Day.